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Friday, July 24, 2009

The chair of the Board of Trade says it's time for the community to pull together in the wake of the disappointing news on Irving's proposed second refinery. Kathy Craig tells CHSJ News the decision shouldn't have come as a real surprise because a lot has changed in the global marketplace since the refinery proposal was first announced.Craig is taking some heart from the fact the company will continue with the permitting process for the refinery proposal.

Saint John M-P Rodney Weston remains optimistic Irving Oil's proposed second refinery in Red Head will eventually become a reality as the U-S economy begins to rebound from the recession.And Weston says discussions between Irving and government officials about potential funding have been positive -- but -- no commitments have been made at this point. Irving announced yesterday it was shelving plans for the 300-thousand barrel a day refinery because of market conditions -- the company is continuing with the permitting process and will revisit the project as market conditions improve.

The president of the Atlantica Center for Energy says the announcement isn't the end of our energy hub. Tim Curry says Irving will continue to invest in its existing refinery as well as a new waterfront office complex -- and -- he says we have Canada's first liquefied natural gas terminal and we have substantial electricity production with the potential for more to come on line.Curry also says having "B-P" partner with Irving has helped to attract more international exposure for this region's energy hub.

Mayor Ivan Court says he can see why Irving Oil decided to not proceed with the Eider Rock project because of the economy.Court says there will still be jobs for people in this city even without the second refinery. He says Peel Plaza, and waterfront development will create many jobs.Court says the city did have one concern about the proposed Irving project.Court says a concern the city had for the project was infrastructure cost. He says the city doesn't have the capital to invest, and would have had to rely on the provincial and federal government.He says the city wouldn't get any tax revenue from the project until the infrastructure was already up.Court says since the E.I.A has just gone through, this project may resurface when the economy is in better shape.

[Elected Officials at the Irving Oil Newser------Photo by Jim Hennessy]

Energy Minister Jack Keir says he's disappointed about the news today, but says it's not the end of the world.Keir says the energy hub is alive and real in this city, and the refinery is not the only part of it.Keir says while the refinery would have been a big part of Saint John being an energy hub, there are still other opportunities.

Enterprise Saint John Chair Bob Manning is assuring the city that Irving Oil not going forward with the Eider Rock Project does not mean the sky is falling.Manning says this city has been isolated from the economic downturn seen throughout the world, with strong performances in all priority growth sectors, such as work at the Tucker Park campus, the new cruise terminal, and the Peel Plaza project.Manning says this announcement cannot damper the city's relationship with Irving Oil, and like all relationships, we must take the good with the bad.Manning says Irving is our home team, and we will continue to support them, as they continue to support us.

Irving Oil and British Petroleum are not moving forward with the proposed second refinery.Irving spokesperson Kevin Scott says due to the economic downturn, and a decrease in demand for petroleum, the project cannot move forward.Scott says in the current petroleum marketplace, an 8 billion dollar project is not viable.Scott says Irving will continue the environmental permitting processes relating to the Eider Rock project to preserve future options if the market were to return to previous levels.

An announcement on Irving Oil's proposed second refinery will be made this morning during a hastily called news conference.The company is billing it as "word regarding an investment decision" for the proposed Eider Rock refinery project.Speculation on the street in the past 12-hours is pointing to the project's star fading -- and -- that could have a significant impact on the development of the energy hub.The news conference is set for 11 at the Delta.

If you get a few minutes today, it might not be a bad idea to stack your patio furniture and tuck it to the side of your home. Environment Canada has posted a warning for some wild weather this weekend. They are tracking a system developing over the Atlantic south of New York. It will lie over Maine today and expected to make the shift into our area today and tonight.

Rain at times is expected to be heavy and howling winds approaching gale force near the coast. Forecaster's tell us with this kind of combination, there could be flooding in some low lying area's. The full forecast is coming up shortly.

Thieves continue to target businesses in Greater Saint John. There was an attempted robbery and robbery last night. The first call for City Police was to Dooly's in Martinon just before 9:30pm on a report a man walked into the pool hall and demanded cash from the clerk. Some of the people playing pool tried to tackle the guy but he got away. Just over two hours later, officers were called to the Park Plaza Motel. A man walked in to the front desk area, demanded cash from the clerk, grabbed a handful and took off.

The clerk wasn't hurt and no word yet on whether these incidents are connected. There have been six robberies and four attempted robberies of businesses in Greater Saint John over the past three weeks.